When Copper Suns Fall - The Dark Seraphine Tour and Interview

 

Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the Dark Seraphine Tour. This tour is all about the wonderful Kasonndra Leigh and her Copper Suns series. I reviewed her first book, When Copper Suns Fall, quite a while back. If you want the summary: "Buy it and read it now. Stop wasting time."

Before giving you the details on how to win all sorts of envy-worthy prizes, I got the chance to Interview Kasonndra! So have fun reading that below. 

 

1.      How did you come up with the title? The title changed almost a million times! No, but seriously though, it was hard. My story was different and I knew that. But my readers had also confirmed that what made it unique was also what made it so memorable. The title had to fit the story and vice versa. So it came to me one day as I stood in the Barnes & Noble that your story is actually about what happens after the copper suns fall. I said all that without spoiling too much, didn’t I? Haha.

2.      Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?Absolutely. I explain a little about the message on my goodreads website, but I’m happy to mention it again. It’s a story of choices and possibilities and all of the wonderful things that can happen when you put your mind into validating something you believe in. 

3.      Can you share a little of your current work with us?The story follows Chela, a young girl who lives in a rebuilt society. She has recently learned that both she and her sick brother have certain powers. In Chela’s society, a place created from an apocalyptic war between good and bad nephilim, any type of supernatural power is illegal. Anyone thought to be related to a celestial creature will either be killed or exiled. So imagine Chela’s shock after she learned her father, a leader in the governing body, has been hiding his children’s secret. But in defense of Chela’s dad, I’ll say he had a reason for keeping them both in the dark. It’ll be up to Chela to save her brother without being discovered. Enter handsome, dashing demon slayer along with a best guy friend who’d walk the wire for her and Chela is all set!

4.      Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?Pegging the voice/style in a book that crosses genres has been tough. Seriously, I had my friends and family calling me for sanity checks. I also had a hard time being disciplined about the process. I kept wandering away, doing yard work, filing my nails, anything to keep from writing. It took me six magical years to get When Copper Suns Fall's voice right. So to all of you struggling with your first novel and learning your writing style, I'll just say stick with it. Don't give up. Writing takes time to get right, and it doesn't come wrapped up in a writing course, either.

5.      Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?Oh I have so many favorite authors. This question is always hard. But I'd have to say Elizabeth Kostova. Her book, the Historian gave me the guts to go for the MFA myself. I also thought it was pretty cool to see a woman writing horror. That's different. I remember saying, "Wow. I can do something like that." I can be different and give the readers in my genre a fresh type of story, and have people accept me for my, eh-em...oddness. But strange in a good way, though.

6.      Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?Yes! Read. Read. Read. Write. Write. Read. Review. Review. Read. Write. I’m not kidding. Follow the percentages in this formula and you’ll see what I mean. Writing is a subjective business. If you want to survive in it, then you must know what makes your voice unique. It took me a very long time to find that voice. But by following the formula above I eventually got it right. And you will too. :-D

7.      How did you come up with the idea for copper suns?When I sat down and began writing When Copper Suns Fall, the story was a standard in your face, super-high fantasy. It came complete with blue creatures, unicorns, princes, and all that. Chela’s name was Cara and Faris had a name that has been overused lately.  I wasn’t trying to be fad girl or the Lady Gaga of the writing world. But rather, I was trying to write the story I always wanted to read. One that came to life when my oldest son asked me: “what if angels that looked like people lived in a dystopian society?” The seeds were planted, the lights in my muse’s apartment lit up. The challenge was on. I asked myself: “how do I stick to an urban setting with fantastical elements, but bring my love of dystopia into play?”

8.      Who is your favorite or least favorite character to write?Seth Alton, hands down, was my favorite character. I mean, the guy is sexy, cocky (in a good way, though) poetic, smart, strong, vulnerable…and did I mention sexy? Anyone who calls themselves the alpha and the omega when you ask him to describe himself is somebody to pay attention to right?

9.      There were a couple scenes in your book that made me want to cry. Were there any scenes you didn't want to write?Aww. My betas said the same thing. I probably know which scene you’re talking about because when I go back and read it I feel the same way. There were three scenes I didn’t want to write. And even though I can’t mention them without spoiling the fun, I’m sure you can figure out which ones those are. Being a writer can sometimes be hard. When you live with your character babies and you have to send one of them into angel land for real then it can really be tough. (Don’t be laughing at me now). 

10.  On the other hand, were there any scenes you liked that didn't make it to the final revision?There were tons of scenes that didn’t make it into the final revision. At that point, I knew that this was going to be a series versus a one-shot deal. Some of those scenes are going to show up in the sequel When Silver Moons Rise, so I can’t talk too much about them. But I will say you get the chance to get in the head of a hot guy in the next installment. LoL

Fun time!

In the point of view of any character you choose, answer these:

1.       What is your dirty little secret?My dirty little secret. Hmm. Where shall I begin. LOL. No, seriously though. I have a short story that I’m writing under a pen name. It’s for adults and you’ll find it to be not your typical goody girl story. I have a LOT of adult fans and betas who helped me get to this point. This story is my thank you to them.

2.      You're walking along and a dragon appears in front of you. What do you do?

I pull out my fireblade (a nifty little thing that aims itself…hehe) and let it rip!

3.      What is your heart's desire?

To purchase an Italian villa that’s as close to the Mediterranean as I can get.

And now what you've all been waiting for! *Drumroll*

Join When Copper Suns Fall as it tours through various blogs over the next couple weeks. This is a mini scavenger hunt.

Can you find the answer to this question: Who is the Dark Seraphine?

If so, then you can enter to win a prize package that includes a paperback copy of the book, a bookmark, an item related to the story, and a $40.00 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes&Noble. Plus, the bloggers get a chance to win something too. Tell us where you first learned about the Dark Seraphine Tour (KaSonndraleigh.com not included) and your favorite blogger could win a prize as well. Simply comment on this blog post, head over to http://kasonndraleigh.blogspot.com/ and fill out the form to be entered for a chance to win on February 24^th.

Most of all, have fun and enjoy the hunt!

Clue for Dark Seraphine hunt: The letter K